Auditor General DePasquale Applauds Committee Action to Increase Oversight, Transparency of Pharmacy Benefit Managers; Urges Passage by Full House
Package of bills moving to implement recommendations from recent reports
Auditor General DePasquale Applauds Committee Action to Increase Oversight, Transparency of Pharmacy Benefit Managers; Urges Passage by Full House
Package of bills moving to implement recommendations from recent reports
HARRISBURG (June 13, 2019) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today applauded the House Health Committee’s approval of legislation that will advance his efforts to make the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers more transparent. DePasquale called for such action in his special reports on PBMs.
Pharmacy benefit managers — which act as middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacists — have come under pressure nationally for raking in huge profits while shrouding their business practices from oversight.
“It’s past time for Pennsylvania to increase oversight of PBMs so that we can ensure taxpayers are not paying for unnecessary services,” DePasquale said. “As my special reports noted, PBM services provided to Medicaid enrollees cost Pennsylvania taxpayers billions of dollars a year.”
The bills approved by the committee include House Bill 941, co-sponsored by Representatives Doyle Heffley and Robert Matzie. It would provide for additional oversight of PBMs and how they set drug reimbursement rates.
Other bills with bi-partisan sponsorship approved by the committee would allow the Auditor General to audit PBMs annually and prohibit “gag clauses” that stop pharmacists from telling customers how they might save money on their prescriptions.
“I urge the full House to pass these bills next week and move them to the Senate for full consideration as quickly as possible,” DePasquale said.
Last November, DePasquale released a special report on Bringing Transparency & Accountability to Drug Pricing. He followed up in February with a special report on how rebates drive up prescription drug cost for consumers.
Learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at www.paauditor.gov.
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